Process for making metallic hollow articles

ABSTRACT

A process for making a hollow metallic article from a tubular blank closed at one end, comprises deforming the entire periphery of the wall of the said blank over its entire length from one end to the opposite end.

United States Patent 1191 Dolveck PROCESS FOR MAKING METALLIC HOLLOW ARTICLES Gilbert Dolveck, Avenue Jean Gaures, F. 38 Beaurepaire, France Filed: June 4, 1970 Appl. No.: 43,548

Related U.S. Application Data Continuation-impart of Ser. No. 739,400, June 24, 1968, abandoned.

Inventor:

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data June 26, 1967 Switzerland 9050/67 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,222,902 12/1965 Brejcha. ..72/56 2,254,275 9/1941 Dove ..l13/120M 1 Sept. 18, 1973 2,493,053 1/1950 Zatyko 72/348 2,850,999 9/1958 Kaplan et al..... 113/120 A 3,029,507 4/1962 Gaggini 72/348 601,825 4/1898 Conners 72/54 441,368 11/1890 DeLava1.... 72/348 257,090 4/1882 Sichel 72/348 3,350,914 11/1967 Oh1ss0n.... 113/120 M 3,461,699 8/1969 Roth 113/120 M 2,506,657 5/1950 Webster.... 72/356 2,493,053 1/1950 Zatyko 72/348 840,270 1/1907 Thiel 113/120 H FOREIGN PATENTS OR APlLlCATlONS 137,278 1/1903 Gennany 113/48 518,629 ll193l Germany 113/120 Primary Examiner-Richard J. Herbst Assistant Examiner--M. .1. Keenan Att0rney-Robert E. Burns and Emmanuel J. Lobato [57] ABSTRACT A process for making a hollow metallic article from a tubular blank closed at one end, comprises deforming the entire periphery of the wall of the said blank over its entire length from one end to the opposite end.

11 Claims, 27 Drawing Figures PATENTEDSEP! ems saw 01 or 11 PATENTED 81975 sum 02 or 11 w vw PATENTED 85?] 8 ma SHEET 05 0F 11 PATENTEU SEP1 8 I973 SHEET 07 0F 11 Mum WMQM man s 3 Sq m8 mm mm PATENTED SEP] 8 I975 SHEET 08 0F 11 PATENTEDSEP18I973 SHEET 09 0F 11 WEMEB 3. 759,205

saw 100; 11

PATENTED SEPI 8|973 sum 11 or 11 N PROCESS FOR MAKING METALLIC HOLLOW ARTICLES v BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This application is a continuation-in-part application based on an original application, Ser. No. 739,400 filed on June 24, 1968, now abandoned.

This invention relates to apparatus for and methods of forming and shaping hollow metal articles and, in particular, to apparatus for and methods of manufacturing metal containers each forming part of an aerosol container.

While containers made of glass or plastic material can be manufactured with many diverse shapes, metal containers traditionally have a generally cylindrical shape along the greater part of their length and are spherical or truncated at their upper parts. The lack of originality of shape which characterises metal containers essentially stems from the difficulties of working metal and, in particular, difficulties encountered in cold forming metal.

It is known to deform a cylindrical blank along a portion of its length.

AIMS OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a hollow metallic article, for example, a container for an aerosol the lateral walls of which can have diverse shapes.

According to the present invention, a process for making a hollow metal article from a tubular blank closed at one end comprises deforming the entire periphery of the wall of said blank over its entire length from one end of the blank to the opposite end of the blank.

The inward deformation of the blank can be carried out by means of conventional cold forming apparatus. However, this apparatus must be adapted to be able to work over the entire length of the tubular blank. In a preferred embodiment, it is necessary to make a plurality of consecutive operational steps on the blank in order to deform the blank to the required extent. It is possible in this manner to provide a metallic container having a conical, concave, convex, semi-spherical or in general, any shape whose diameter decreases regularly or irregularly along its height from the top of the container to the bottom of the container.

To obtain outward deformation of the tubular blank, the tubular blank is radially expanded to a predetermined extent over a certain length of introducing one or more mandrels through the opening of the blank and subjecting the mandrels to an axial expansion. It is possible to combine the inward and outward deformation operations in order to make containers which have shapes resulting from the combination of in ward and outward expansion of the wall of the blank, i.e. biconical, conical-spherical, spherical and so on.

- DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example, reference being made to Figures of the accompanying drawings:

FIGS. 1 to 8 are elevational views illustrating the shape of a container after certain operational steps have been performed on the container FIG. 9 is a detail of the upper portion of the container shown in FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a partial, sectional view through an apparatus for performing the method of the invention;

FIG. II is a sectional view of a forming tool;

FIG. 12 is a diagrammatic sectional view of metal rolling apparatus;

FIGS. 13, 14, 16, 21, 26 and 27 are diagrammatic sketches illustrating the various shapes obtained by the process of the present invention;

FIGS. 15 and 18 and 23 are sectional views of tools for use in the process of the invention; and

FIGS. 17, 19, 20, 22, 24 and 25 are elevations of vari ous containers at different stages in the process of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT As shown in FIG. 1, a basic metal container 1 having a flat base and open at the opposite end 2 from the base, is made by a known drawing and pressing operation. This forms the basic tubular blank on which all the remaining operations are to be performed. The end 2 is trimmed by a metal cutter or grinding wheel, to any desired length to produce a container 1 as shown in FIG. 2.

As shown in FIG. 10, an apparatus in the form of a press comprises a rotatable table, only part of which is shown, having a plurality of equi-spaced members 4 arranged in a circle around the axis of rotation of the table. Each member 4 has a central, generally partspherical raised surface 5 and a surrounding peripheral flat surface 5'. A ring 8 of metal surrounds each member 4.

Immediately opposite each member 4, is a tool held in a plate 10. The cylindrical tool 6 at the right hand side as seen in FIG. 10 has an annular projection 7 at its end opposite member 4 and has a diameter slightly less than the internal diameter of the basic tubular blank on container 1. The plate 10 on operation of the press, reciprocates towards and away from the rotatable table.

In operation, after a container 1 is placed between the member 4 and tool 6, the press is operated to drive tool 6 into the container 1, the tool 6 co-operating with member 4 to shape the base 3 of container 1 to the shape shown in FIG. 3. The projection 7 as shown cooperates with surface 5 to effect the required shape.

After this operation, the tool 6 is withdrawn from the container 1 by the retractive movement of plate 10 and the rotatable table is indexed to position the container 1 immediately opposite a tool 9 held in plate 10.

Tool 9 as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, has a shank 9' and a hollow die part 9". The tool 9 is adjustably fastened to the plate 10 by nuts 11, I2 engaging threads 1 1, 12' formed on the shank 9' and die-part 9" respectively. The shank 9' has an axial bore 51 communicating with the hollow interior of the die-part 9". Bore 51 has a portion 16 of reduced cross-section defining space shoulders l6, 16''. A further portion 52 of reduced cross-section is provided at the end of bore 51 adjacent the die-part 9". Spaced guide bushes l7, 18 made, for example, of calcinated bronze impreganted with a lubricant are arranged in bore 51 against shoulders 16', 16" respectively. The hollow die-part 9" of the tool 9 has through holes 14 passing between its hollow interior and exterior surfaces. The wall 13 of diepart 4" is generally cylindrical but its inner surface tapers divergently, as shown, towards the free end of the tool 9 to form a conical part, the maximum diameter of which is equal to the outside diameter of container 1. The exterior edge of the conical part is rounded to facilitate the tool 9 passing over the container 1. An ejector, in the form of a plunger 53 slidably arranged in the hollow die-part 9" is connected to a rod 54 passing through bore 51.

In operation, movement of plate 10 drives tool 9 over container 1 to form container 1 to the shape shown in FIG. 4. During retraction of plate 10, the end of rod 54 engages a fixed member 55 so that on further upward movement of the tool 9, plunger 53 engages the end of the container 1 and ejects it from the hollow interior of the die-part 9".

The rotatable table is then indexed to position container l in the next working position beneath a different tool which is similar to tool 9 and gives the container the form shown in FIG. 5.

Several more forming operations are performed on the body of the container 1 until it acquires the shape shown in FIG. 6. Consequently, a forming operation by means of dies (not shown) is performed to form a neck 60 of the container 1 to produce the shape shown in FIG. 7.

The neck 60 is then rolled by a metal spinning or metal rolling process or by impact deformation. If the neck rolling operation is carried out by impact deformation it is necessary to first carry out a milling operation (edge finishing) and one cutting operation to decrease the thickness of the neck 60 of container 1. However, if the rolling is carried out with wheels, only milling is necessary. The wheel rolling operation is carried out by means of three revolving wheels 22, only one shown, see FIG. 12, mounted on a tool 23 turning about its longitudinal axis 24. The wheels 22, the respective axes of which are placed in the same horizontal plane, are themselves driven by their frictional contact with the neck 60 of the container 1. The container 1 is rigidly held during the rolling operation. The container I eventually has the appearance shown in FIG. 8.

The tools 6, 9 are made of hard steel, for example, steel containing 2 percent carbon and 12 to 14 percent chrome with a hardening treatment to obtain the resistance of traction of 130 kgs. per mm2.

It is possible by means of the present process to obtain an article having a curvilinear convex cross-section for example as diagrammatically indicated by FIG. 13.

The process employed is identical to the process previously described. The shape can be obtained by means of tools the inside surface of which is complementary to the finished shape required on the container. The shape is obtained by several operations on a press with a rotating plate identical to the press previously described. Similar operations on the neck of such a container, for example, forming of the neck, milling, turning and rolling of the edge of the neck are identical to the operations previously described.

Further, it is possible to obtain a hollow article or container having a cross-section which is generally concave curvilinear as diagrammatically indicated by FIG. 14. The basic tubular blank is always a cylindrical container obtained by drawing. The length of the basic blank or container is obtained by trimming and shaping the open end of the container.

The lower part of such a container, that is, the part between the base and the area of the smallest diameter, is obtained by a succession of forming operations with a press and tools such as that illustrated in FIG. 15.

The upper part of the container i.e. that situated between the upper neck and the area of smallest diameter is obtained by a succession of forming operations. Tools are inserted into the container to shape and cause an expansion of the walls of the container. All the operations performed on the basic container can be automatic and the operator merely has to load and unload the finished article.

It is possible to obtain a combined spherical conical container, for example, as diagrammatically indicated by FIG. 16. The basic container is still a cylindrical container obtained by drawing. The length of which container is determined by trimming the ends of the container. The shaping of the lower conical end of the container is carried out by means of tools identical to the tool 9 as shown in FIG. 11. The different operational steps are of course carried out at different working positions and by different tools as the rotatable bed of the press is indexed. An intermediate shape of container has the appearance of the container 26 illustrated in FIG. 17. The forming of the spherical part of the container is carried out by several forming operations by means of tools such as the tool 28 illustrated in FIG. 18. This tool is mounted on the press in the same was as has been previously described with respect 7 to tool 19. The tool 28 is axially inserted into the container 26. The tool 28 has two cylindrical surfaces 29 and 30 separated by a spherical surface 31. To facilitate the insertion of tool 28 in the container, the forward part of the tool has a chamfered edge 32 and a rounded edge 33. The diameter of the cylindrical projection 30 is substantially equal to the interior diameter of the container. The tool 28 when inserted into the container causes the deformation of the upper wall and a container as shown in FIG. 19 is obtained. This container thus has a cylindrical part 35 with an interior diameter which is equal to the diameter of the cylindrical surface 29 of tool 28 and a hemispherical part 32 having the same curvature as spherical surface 31 of tool 28. Of course, the various tools similar to tool 28 em ployed during successive spherical shaping operations of the container have cylindrical portions 29 and 30 the respective diameters of which are suited or adapted to the intermediate dimensions of the receptacle as it is shaped. After the forming of the spherical part of the container the forming of the upper part of the container, by tools having a suitable interior spherical profile, is performed. The container obtained has the shape shown in FIG. 20. The finishing operations on the receptacle that is, milling, cutting and rolling of the neck are carried out in the way previously described.

A bi-conical profile for a container can for example, as diagrammatically indicated by FIG. 21 be obtained in the way previously described by starting with the basic cylindrical container which is trimmed to length.

The inside profile of the container is obtained by forming in several operations, as previously described. An intermediate shape of the container is shown in FIG. 22.

Alternatively, the conical profile of the upper part of the container may be obtained by shaping or forming in several operations by means of a tool, such as a tool 38, shown in FIG. 23. The working surface of tool 38 has two cylindrical surfaces 39 and 40 between which is a conical surface 41. The cylindrical surface 40 has a chamfered forward part 42 in order to facilitate the insertion of the tool 38 into the cylindrical part of the container. The diameter of the cylindrical surface 40 is substantially the same as the interior diameter of the cylindrical part of the container. When the tool 38 penetrates the cylindrical part of the container, its conical projection causes the spreading out of the container and after several shaping or operational movements the container as illustrated in FIG. 24 is obtained. The interior diameter of the cylindrical part 44 of container shown in FIG. 24 is equal to the diameter of the cylindrical surface 39 of the tool 38.

Further forming operations of the type are required to form the upper part of the container. The final container is illustrated in FIG. 25.

To obtain a generally hemispherical shape as illustrated diagrammatically in FIG. 26, the basic container is a cylindrical blank with a flat base which blank is cut to length by trimming. The hemispherical profile is obtained in several forming operations by means of tools the internal surfaces of which have spherical profiles. Finally, the upper cylindrical parts of the container are milled, turned and then rolled.

To obtain a generally spherical shape as illustrated diagrammatically in FIG. 27, the basic container is, this time, a tubular blank with a hemispherical base obtained by drawing. The production of the upper hemisphere is carried out by forming several surfaces by means of tools with a spherical profile. Similarly, the finishing operations on the upper cylindrical part of the container thus obtained, are carried out.

The process can be carried out starting from tubular blanks which do not have a circuit cross-section but instead a polygonal or elliptical one. In this manner it is possible to obtain for example, flat metallic bottles having a rectangular cross-section.

THe metallic containers obtained according to the invention can be used not only as aerosol bombs for liquids, talc or for salt and pepper and also as table lighters of a spherical or other shape, soda water bottles, flower vases, perfumery bottles, Candlesticks, and legs for lamps of all sorts.

It should also be noted that the new shaped metallic containers which can be obtained by the claimed process make it possible to provide particularly inexpensive packages. For example when these containers are conical they can be disposed alternately upside down in their cartons, which results in an appreciable space saving.

It will be understood that from the different shapes which may be given to a metallic container it is possible to choose those which are the most able to resist inside or outside pressures.

It is also possible to place a film comprising a decorative design or an inscription onto the blank, the dimensions of the design or inscription being calculated to compensate for the deformation to be undergone by the blank.

What is claimed is:

l. A process of making an aerosol dispensing or similar hollow container from a tubular blank closed at one end, which comprises supporting said blank by its closed end and performing a sequence of shaping steps each of which comprises relatively moving a shaping die axially of the blank toward the support by which said blank is supported, said die having a circumferentially continuous surface engaging an annular portion of said blank simultaneously throughout its circumference to effect a cold deforming of said engaged portion of said blank radially by different amounts in one direction relative to its longitudinal axis by axial movement of said die and repeating the shaping step with a different die engaging a part of the same portion of said blank to deform said blank radially by different amounts and in an opposite direction relative to said first-mentioned direction to produce a container having different cross sectional areas at different points along its length.

2. A process of making a container according to claim 1, in which the first-mentioned die engages the exterior of said blank to contract a portion of said blank by axial movement of said die and said different die engages the interior of said blank to expand a portion of said blank by axial movement of said different die.

3. A process of making a container according to claim 2, in which the first-mentioned die engages said blank to contract a portion of said blank so as to converge a part of said portion upwardly from said base and said different die subsequently engages an annular band of said contracted portion to expand said band to form an upwardly divergent portion.

4. A process of making a container according to claim I, in which the first-mentioned die engages the interior of said blank to expand a portion of said blank by axial movement of said die and said different die engages the exterior of said blank to contract a portion of said blank by axial moVement of said other die.

5. A process of making a container according to claim 1, in which said first-mentioned die engages said blank to expand a portion of said blank so as to diverge upwardly from said base and said different die subsequently engages an annular band of said expanded portion to contract said band to form an upwardly convergent portion.

6. A process of making a container according to claim 1, in which the first-mentioned die progressively contracts said blank so as to taper convergently upwardly substantially its entire axial length.

7. A process of making a container according to claim 1, in which the first-mentioned die progressively expands said blank to diverge upwardly substantially its entire axial length.

8. A process of making a container according to claim 1, in which the first-mentioned die contracts said blank deforming said engaged portion along less than the axial length of said blank.

9. A process of making a container according to claim 1 in which the first-mentioned die expands said blank deforming said engaged portion along less than the axial length of said blank.

10. A process of making an aerosol dispensing or similar hollow container from a tubular blank closed at one end, which comprises supporting said blank by its closed end and performing a sequence of shaping steps each of which comprises relatively moving a shaping die axially of the blank toward the support by which said blank is supported, said die having a circumferentially continuous surface engaging an annular portion of said blank simultaneously throughout its circumference to effect a cold deforming of said engaged portion of said blank radially by axial movement of said die, repeating said shaping step with different dies engaging the same or different portions of said blank to deform different portions of said blank radially by different amounts to produce a container having different cross sectional areas at different points along its length, at least one of said dies engaging the exterior of said blank to contract a portion of said blank by axial movement of said die and at least one other of said dies engaging the interior of said blank to expand a portion of said blank by axial movement of said other die, and at least one of said dies engaging said blank to contract a portion of said blank so as to converge upwardly from said base and at least one other die subsequently engages an annular band of said contracted portion to expand said band to form an upwardly divergent portion.

11. A process of making an aerosol dispensing or similar hollow container from a tubular blank closed at one end, which comprises supporting said blank by its closed end and performing a sequence of shaping steps each of which comprises relatively moving a shaping die axially of the blank toward the support by which said blank is supported, said die having a circumferentially continuous surface engaging an annular portion of said blank simultaneously throughout its circumference to effect a cold deforming of said engaged portion of said blank radially by axial movement of said die, repeating said shaping step with different dies engaging the same or different portions of said blank to deform different portions of said blank radially by different amounts to produce a container having different cross sectional areas at different points along its length, a series of said dies successively engaging the exterior of said blank progressively to contract said blank so as to form an upwardly convergent portion above the closed end thereof and a second series of said dies subsequently successively engaging the interior of a portion of said blank spaced from the closed end thereof to expand said portion of said blank to fonn an upwardly divergent portion above said convergent portion, and subsequently engaging the exterior of a third portion of said blank above said upwardly divergent portion successively with a series of said dies to contract said third portion to form an upwardly convergent portion of said blank above said upwardly divergent portion.

,5! i i I. t 

1. A process of making an aerosol dispensing or similar hollow container from a tubular blank closed at one end, which comprises supporting said blank by its closed end and performing a sequence of shaping steps each of which comprises relatively moving a shaping die axially of the blank toward the support by which said blank is supported, said die having a circumferentially continuous surface engaging an annular portion of said blank simultaneously throughout its circumference to effect a cold deforming of said engaged portion of said blank radially by different amounts in one direction relative to its longitudinal axis by axial movement of said die and repeating the shaping step with a different die engaging a part of the same portion of said blank to deform said blank radially by different amounts and in an opposite direction relative to said first-mentioned direction to produce a container having different cross sectional areas at different points along its length.
 2. A process of making a container according to claim 1, in which the first-mentioned die engages the exterior of said blank to contract a portion of said blank by axial movement of said die and said different die engages the interior of said blank to expand a portion of said blank by axial movement of said different die.
 3. A process of making a container according to claim 2, in which the first-mentioned die engages said blank to contract a portion of said blank so as to converge a part of said portion upwardly from said base and said different die subsequently engages an annular band of said contracted portion to expand said band to form an upwardly divergent portion.
 4. A process of making a container according to claim 1, in which the first-mentioned die engages the interior of said blank to expand a portion of said blank by axial movement of said die and said different die engages the exterior of said blank to contract a portion of said blank by axial moVement of said other die.
 5. A process of making a container according to claim 1, in which said first-mentioned die engages said blank to expand a portion of said blank so as to diverge upwardly from said base and said different die subsequently engages an annular band of said expanded portion to contract said band to form an upwardly convergent portion.
 6. A process of making a container according to claim 1, in which the fiRst-mentioned die progressively contracts said blank so as to taper convergently upwardly substantially its entire axial length.
 7. A process of making a container according to claim 1, in which the first-mentioned die progressively expands said blank to diverge upwardly substantially its entire axial length.
 8. A process of making a container according to claim 1, in which the first-mentioned die contracts said blank deforming said engaged portion along less than the axial length of said blank.
 9. A process of making a container according to claim 1 in which the first-mentioned die expands said blank deforming said engaged portion along less than the axial length of said blank.
 10. A process of making an aerosol dispensing or similar hollow container from a tubular blank closed at one end, which comprises supporting said blank by its closed end and performing a sequence of shaping steps each of which comprises relatively moving a shaping die axially of the blank toward the support by which said blank is supported, said die having a circumferentially continuous surface engaging an annular portion of said blank simultaneously throughout its circumference to effect a cold deforming of said engaged portion of said blank radially by axial movement of said die, repeating said shaping step with different dies engaging the same or different portions of said blank to deform different portions of said blank radially by different amounts to produce a container having different cross sectional areas at different points along its length, at least one of said dies engaging the exterior of said blank to contract a portion of said blank by axial movement of said die and at least one other of said dies engaging the interior of said blank to expand a portion of said blank by axial movement of said other die, and at least one of said dies engaging said blank to contract a portion of said blank so as to converge upwardly from said base and at least one other die subsequently engages an annular band of said contracted portion to expand said band to form an upwardly divergent portion.
 11. A process of making an aerosol dispensing or similar hollow container from a tubular blank closed at one end, which comprises supporting said blank by its closed end and performing a sequence of shaping steps each of which comprises relatively moving a shaping die axially of the blank toward the support by which said blank is supported, said die having a circumferentially continuous surface engaging an annular portion of said blank simultaneously throughout its circumference to effect a cold deforming of said engaged portion of said blank radially by axial movement of said die, repeating said shaping step with different dies engaging the same or different portions of said blank to deform different portions of said blank radially by different amounts to produce a container having different cross sectional areas at different points along its length, a series of said dies successively engaging the exterior of said blank progressively to contract said blank so as to form an upwardly convergent portion above the closed end thereof and a second series of said dies subsequently successively engaging the interior of a portion of said blank spaced from the closed end thereof to expand said portion of said blank to form an upwardly divergent portion above said convergent portion, and subsequently engaging the exterior of a third portion of said blank above said upwardly divergent portion successively with a series of said dies to contract said third portion to form an upwardly convergent portion of said blank above said upwardly divergent portion. 